Background: Fetal growth restriction can occur at any gestational period and is affected by maternal, placental and environmental factors. These factors can cause neonatal mortality or morbidity and long term sequalae. Thereby it is important to assess the nutritional status at birth. Clinical assessment of nutrition status score (CAN) assessment based on birth centile became important. Objectives: Aim was to compare CAN score and BMI birth centiles using pre-designated cut offs for assessing fetal nutrition. Materials and Methods: 1000 newborns cross-Sectional descriptive study. Department of Paediatrics, K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore. Nov-2015 to June-2017. Inclusion criteria included term neonates with gestational age >37 completed weeks of gestation by dates or ultra-sonogram.  Neonates with major congenital malformation or syndromes were excluded.  Results: Out of 1000 newborns, 259 newborns (25.9%) had BMI below 10th centile out of which 99(9.9%) had BMI less than 3rd centile suggesting severe malnutrition. Malnutrition as per CAN Score was seen in 319(31.9%) infants. When CAN score and BMI was compared, among the 353 babies who had CAN score less than 25 indicating FM, only 129(36.5%) had BMI less than 10th  centile. In 130 of the 259 infants with BMI less than 10th centile, CAN score was normal.